How To Buy Studio Underd0g's New "Salm0n" Dial Watch
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“Ah shit, here we go again.”
“You’re joking. Not another one? Oh, for God’s sake. I can’t… Honestly, I can’t stand this.”
“No! Not another one!”
“They’re just taking advantage of the situation…”
As ways of trailing a new watch launch, posting self-depreciating memes from your own Instagram account, and setting a countdown timer to the accompaniment of a Big Mouth Billy Bass animatronic singing fish isn't normal.
Still, no one has ever accused Studio Underd0g of being a company that takes itself too seriously.
This has mostly worked to its advantage.
The Brighton-based watchmaker only started releasing watches three years ago, but its fun designs, keen prices and food-and-drink themed dials blew up immediately. The New York Times reckons its revenue this year could reach £7 million. (It hasn't been entirely LOLing its way to the bank – in 2023 it was nominated for a serious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève [GPHG] Award for excellence in watchmaking.)
To date, there have been two “series” of watches released from Studio Underd0g.
The o1SERIES, a collection of £500 chronographs that included the Go0fy Panda, Mint Ch0c Chip and the eBay-baiting Watermel0n.
And the 02SERIES, comprising £800 field watches with a clever dial where the numbers appeared to “float” on the watch face, that came in eye-catching styles called things like Pink Lem0nade, Steffany Blue and Full Mo0n.
There was also Pizza Party, a set of two pizza-dial themed models, Pepper0ni and Hawaiian, that technically belonged to the 01SERIES but have so far largely been available as a “hand-delivered” option – ie: you needed to visit Studio Underd0g at a watch fair or similar event to get your hands on one.
Then came 03SERIES.
Not everyone saw the funny side to the first offering from that, a monopusher chronograph with a yellow and purple dial known as the Passi0n Fruit. Launched a fortnight ago and only available paired with a similarly-styled model by the high-end and provocative Swiss brand H.Moser & Cie, the “Project Passion” set came in a limited edition of 100 and cost £53,000.
£53,000!
So much for the pocket-friendly microbrand.
Now Studio Underd0g has announced first “real” watch from the 03SERIES, as well as helping out anyone floundering to make sense of the fish gags.
The Salm0n is another monopusher chronograph, with a dial featuring two treatments. A dégradé grey-silver top part said to interpret a salmon’s scales. And a metallic sunray lower-dial that’ comes “fillet-inspired”.
This aesthetic is said to be consistent with the rest of the forthcoming 03SERIES.
Where 01SERIES Underd0g chronographs used the Chinese-made Seagull ST-1901 movement, 03SERIES has opted for something more upscale and Swiss – the Sellita SW510M.
That movement is from the same family of calibres used by some much bigger brands, including Longines, Oris and Christopher Ward.
The "salmon" colour scheme, meanwhile, is a watch world in-joke adjacent to the previous Steffany Blue model.
That one was a riff on a 2021 Patek Philippe Nautilus produced in collaboration with Tiffany & Co that came with “Tiffany blue” dial and a heavily limited-edition run. Worn by celebrities from Jay-Z to The Pope, its resale value hit $6.5m. Other high-end brands including Rolex have also featured dials of the similar robin’s egg blue colour.
Salmon-coloured dials, achieved by mixing yellow gold with copper, are particularly associated with super-expensive, elegant vintage dress watches, notably by Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.
“Every reputable brand must have a salmon dial watch in their product assortment if they wish to be taken seriously,” notes Studio Underd0g’s press materials.
At £1,700 the Salm0n is the most expensive Studio Underd0g release yet – excluding the Moser collab.
“Many members of the Studio Underd0g community were quick to spot that our contribution to Project Passion was also the introduction of a new series. The Salm0n concept has been in the works since late 2021, it was just about finding the right time to launch to ensure it made a splash,” Studio Underd0g founder Richard Benc tells Esquire.
“The 03SERIES Salm0n is a natural addition to our core offering and we’re hoping that it will resonate with our current audience as well as some enthusiasts that enjoy our approach but prefer a Swiss calibre.”
And the design?
“The idea of focusing on the salmon skin rather than the fillet really shows our playful and somewhat rebellious approach to design and the industry as a whole,” Benc says. “So we wanted to make sure the watch had the necessary platform with minimal distractions.”
Asked if he could give us a clue to the direction of the rest of the collection still TBC, he says: “The 03SERIES is our most premium core range offering to date. The 03SERIES isn't here to replace the much-loved 01SERIES, but to stand alongside it.”
As per previous Underd0g “drops” the Salmon be available through a pre-order window. This time on Tuesday 17 September for nine hours between 3pm and 12pm via underdog.com.
All orders placed during this window are a guaranteed a watch. The first 400 watches will be delivered in October, with any further orders to be delivered from January.
Watches will get sent out on a first come, first serve basis.
Will you be in line for the chance to net one? Or do you still need time to mullet over?
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